This is a guide to setting up your computer so you will be able to play NHL94 (and other games) against other people. Before we go any further, these are the recommended requirements for playing:

===== Recommended Requirements =====

01) Good Sportsmanship
This is the first thing you should keep in mind when deciding to play in leagues and vs. others online. No one wants to play against someone who talks unnecessary smack or behaves immaturely. This type of behavior will NOT be tolerated in this community. Take the tough losses like an adult.

02) A Computer(Windows-based preferred, though Mac users can play)
I would suggest at least a Pentium 3, with at least 256 MB Memory, and a 64 MB Video Card or something similar. You will also need a network card installed (wired or wireless - wired preferred). These are fairly low requirements, and if your Windows PC is less than 10 years old, you probably have nothing to worry about.

As of right now, the main way to play NHL94 on a Mac is to use any kind of Virtual PC program where you run the emulator in a Windows environment. Many modern Intel-based Macs can also use Boot Camp or some other similar program to create a Windows partition on your Mac and install Windows. You would then have a "dual-boot" system, capable of booting into Mac OS X, or Windows. For more information on Boot Camp, how to set it up, and minimum Mac requirements needed, please check here: Apple Support: Using Windows on your Mac

There are players who may use a friends computer and are able to play their games. This is fine as long as you can commit to playing.

03) A High-Speed Internet Connection(Very Important)
This is pretty much the main requirement of playing this game online. You will need a high-speed internet connection such as cable, DSL, or fiber optics. That old 2400 baud modem you might have in the closet is not going to cut it.

It's been noticed that certain wireless connections tend to drop or lag during the game. This isn't always a problem, but if you're using a wireless connection, you'll certainly want to test that. If you have a choice of wired or wireless, try the wired connection first.

Any type of Downloading/PeerToPeer/Torrent application will cause your online gaming to suffer if it's running while you are playing a game. Turn off any major programs before playing games online, especially video-heavy applications.

04) Control Pad Connected To Your Computer
Any control pad with at least 3 or 4 buttons will do. Guys who play use everything from a basic Gravis Gamepad, Microsoft Sidewinder to actual Sega Genesis or Super Nintendo pads using a USB converter.
You can purchase a USB converter at Retro Zone. If you don't have a control pad, you can use the keyboard. There are players who use this method and do it successfully, so to each his own. If you don't have a control pad and would like one, look for one on an auction site. You will be able to find many USB gamepads for a very reasonable price.

05) AIM (Instant Messaging Service)AIM is a free IM service that is used for communication between coaches. If you do not have an AIM account, please sign up for one.

Sega Genesis USB Connector

Super Nintendo

Gravis Gamepad

Sidewinder Gamepad

Note: There are many variations of these control pads, newer/older versions. Just about any control pad with the right number of buttons will do.

===== Hamachi Setup =====

Hamachi is a free application that makes connecting to other users online very simple. Hamachi works as a "middle man" between you and your opponent. Normally, if your computer is connected to the internet via a router/modem setup, router port forwarding would need to be set up in order to use Netplay in an emulator. Port Forwarding can be complicated if you do not know how to set it up, and in some cases, you might not have access to the router settings. When using Hamachi, you do not have to worry about any of this; it just works. I recommend using this application for it's ease of use and the fact that it can be used for playing both Gens & Snes versions of the game online.

Note: You will have to sign up for a LogMeIn.com account. This account is free, and needs to be linked with your Hamachi account. You will not be able to use Hamachi until you sign up and link the account. You can sign up and link it from the Hamachi control panel after downloading and installing Hamachi using the link above.

The Power button activates Hamachi & assigns an IP address.
The Network menu allows you to create or join a network. It will request a Network Name and Password.
Users who are not online are shown in grey (like in the photo). Users who are online will be shown in black.

Setup Notes:
To use, simply start up Hamachi. When you click the power button to go online, it assigns you an IP address. Connect to the network you will be using. Now, when you use the Gens P2P application, or ZSNES Netplay, whoever hosts will give the other player the network they are in and the password, and their Hamachi IP address. In order to play against someone using Hamachi, you both have to be a member of the same network.

Note: The maximum amount of users, on a network created with the free license, is 5. This causes some restrictions. The most common method used today: Create a network and invite your opponent by sending them (via AIM) the network name and password. They will then join your network and you will be able to play the game. After play is done, remove them from your network by right-clicking their name in the list and clicking "Ban".

Note: Some internet security software has firewall settings that will block certain traffic to and from your computer. This will sometimes hinder Hamachi from connecting to other users. An easy way to test if you can send and receive packets from another user is to double-click on their name in Hamachi and see if the command prompt window displays a ping back from them. If the request times out, then they might have something blocking the traffic on their end.

===== Playing The Genesis Version Online Using P2P =====

STEP 1) The first thing to do is to download the Gens emulator & ROM package found on the homepage of this website (League Downloads section). You will have to unzip these files into a folder on your computer.

STEP 2) Run the Gens emulator. It should open in a small window with grey noise as shown below. Configure your control pad by going to Option->Joypads as shown in figures 1-1 and 1-2.

Figures 1-1 and 1-2. Gens Window.

STEP 3) This brings up the Controllers Settings window. Hit "Redefine Keys" next to the "Player 1" line.

Figure 1-3. The Controller Settings window.

This will bring up figure 1-4 shown below. Then click the button you want to set, then press the control pad button you'd like this to be. This will setup your control pad the way you want the buttons to be. You have to set this up the first time you use a control pad on a computer. Hit "OK" when finished.

Figure 1-4. The Redefine Keys Window.

STEP 4) Goto File->Open. Select the .bin file in the Gens directory; in this case, nhl94.bin. By opening the ROM now, you set the emulator's default directory for games. This also checks to make sure your emulator is working.

Figures 1-5 and 1-6. Opening the nhl94.bin File.

STEP 5) Close the ROM. You'll see it fade away. You can always open the game and play on your computer to test and practice. Now you're ready to play online. With a blank Gens screen, Goto File->Netplay. The netplay screen should open. If you don't have a "Netplay" option in your Gens emulator, you are missing the kailleraclient.dll file in your Gens root directory. If you downloaded the latest Gens package from the homepage, you shouldn't have this problem. Change Mode to "1. P2P" as shown below in figure 1-7.

Figure 1-7. The Netplay Screen of Gens 2.14.

STEP 6A)If you are hosting a game (Using the Gens Emulator, the Home Team is required to host):
Message your opponent with your Hamachi IP address (they will also see it when they connect to your Hamachi network). Make sure you include the port number from the netplay window separated by a colon. For example, if you're Hamachi IP address is 23.456.78.90 and your "use port" says 27888, then message the following IP to your opponent: 23.456.78.90:27888.

Then, in the netplay window simply select the nhl94 game from the list, and click "Host". This will open the Connection Window shown below in figure 1-8. Now you'll be waiting for your opponent to join. It is suggested to set "Smoothing" to "Always". Once he joins and gives the thumbs up that he's ready, you'll check the "click here when ready" checkbox. The game will begin.

Figure 1-8. The Connection Window.

STEP 6B)If you are joining a game:
Click on the "Connect" tab (it defaults to the "Host" tab).

Figure 1-9. Options when "Connect" tab is clicked.

Paste in the full Hamachi IP with port and click "Connect". This will bring you to the Connection Window (shown above in figure 1-8), where the host is waiting. Once you are ready, check the "click here when ready" checkbox. The game will begin.

Note: When using Hamachi, do NOT use the "whatismyip" button in the Connection Window of Netplay because that IP is not the Hamachi IP and won't allow you to connect online.

===== Playing The Super Nintendo Version Online =====

STEP 1) The first thing to do is download the SNES emulator & ROM package found on the homepage of this website (League Downloads section). You will have to unzip these files into a folder somewhere easy to remember on your computer.

STEP 2) Run the ZSNES emulator. It should open in a window with a purple background as shown below. Configure your control pad by going to Config->Input #1 as shown in figure 2-1.

Figure 2-1. ZSNES Emulator Controller Setup.

STEP 3) This brings up the Input Device window. Choose "KEYB/JOYSTICK" and hit "SET". With your controller connected to your computer, click "SET KEYS". This will start the mapping wizard which will take you through all the buttons. You can also click in the button fields and manually change them afterwards as well. Close the Input Device windows when finished.

Figure 2-2. ZSNES Emulator Controller Setup.

STEP 4) Goto Game->Load. Select the nhl94.smc file in the ZSnes directory. By opening the ROM now, this checks to make sure your emulator is working on your computer.

STEP 6A)If you are hosting a game (on ZSNES, either the Home or the Away team can host):
Message your opponent your Hamachi IP address (they will also see it when they connect to your Hamachi network). As a general rule, just leave the default port as 7845. Typically the person hosting the game is player 1, but you can change if needed in the chat window shown in figure 2-6. Once your opponent is connected, you can load the game as shown in Figure 2-7 below. The game should load on both player's emulator.

Figure 2-6. ZSNES Netplay Chat Window.

Figure 2-7. ZSNES Loading the Game Once Connected.

STEP 6B)If you are joining a game:
Type in the host's Hamachi IP into the IP field and click "Connect To Server". You should then see a chat window open. This is where you and your opponent can chat and make changes before starting. Then, you simply wait for the host to load the nhl94 game and you're ready to go!

During the game, if you would like to chat with your opponent, you can press the "T" key, and a little black bar will appear with a cursor. Hit "Return" to send it.

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